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Cannons
(< Previous Chapter) - (Next Chapter >) Makal's POV "EVERYBODY WAKE THE HELL UP!" Makal shouted as he ran down Zul's gravel road. 'Holy fucking hell we're all going to die!' Makal was sprinting. He had tripped twice going down Mount Lu. His ankle was probably injured, but he wasn't sure. Fear was coursing through his body like blood through veins so he felt no pain even though usually this much running would make his lungs feel like they were being crushed. He had heard the stories a thousand times. Gregg, the Iggrubman, often spoke of how brutal the Black Flag was. He spoke of his childhood home being razed; of the women being raped, of hornmen being killed en masse, of men having their throats slit. He was the oldest of their group of friends, and was just a small child when Iggrub was invaded but he said the memories are even more vivid than real life. Well into Zul now, he had escaped the stench of flesh, the sound of swords, and the heat. The heat was the worst. He thought it was just the Hot Season. Nononono. It was people's lives being destroyed. He didn't know if his friends were with him. All he was, was the singular goal to get to the chieftains' tent. Makaloz, his uncle, had told him they were going to have a small party tonight, and that he should join them. He was going to before he saw Rott leave his tent. He was screaming. He just noticed that. An old woman shouted for him to shut up. She probably just thought he was drunk or was stupid like Rauz. Hell, she probably thought he was Rauz. Rauz is right next to me, also running, Makal just realized. The fear was running its course. Suddenly, his lungs hurt. His lungs hurt a lot. He coughed. Hard. Rauz kept running. He was a big, strong guy, he would keep it up a bit more. He kept running, even though it hurt. He got in there a few seconds after Rauz. Makaloz was talking to Rauz, who was too panicked to say what he meant. The other chieftains had stood up, though some, especially those at the far end of the tent were still drunkenly conversing. "They're here," Makal said. No explanation was needed. Makaloz's face turned into one of horror, and dead seriousness. A second later, Makal understood what "more vivid than real life" meant. That face would stick with him. Makaloz was a kind man, a drunkard, kind to children, always smiling. "We have to evacuate. Now." Makaloz said to his fellow chieftains. Immediately, everyone sprang into action. Men were not more sober than in times of crisis like this. A passed out chieftain was carried out of the tent. Makaloz turned to his nephew. "How do you know?" It wasn't skepticism. It was evalution of the situation. "Calum. Calum is being sacked as we speak. Fifty ships. At least. Probably much more. Bombs like arrow fire." "Cannons," Makaloz said. He was somewhere else for a second, but he turned to Makal, staring him hard in the eyes, and grabbing his head with both hands. "Makal. Go to your mother. Defend her. Kill her if you must, she must not become a sex slave. That can never happen. I'll kill all of them before I allow any of them to touch her." There was a serious, sad look on his uncle's face as he let his nephew go. "We may never see each other again," Makaloz said. Makal's face ached with sadness that his pride wouldn't let him show. But his uncle knew. They shook hands, and Makal ran. The next few seconds were a blurr. People were waking up. The town was stirring. A horse was shrieking in the distance. Dogs were barking. Someone's tent was on fire now. A lightning bolt struck the ground in the distance. The world began to glow orange. He slammed into someone, and fell to the ground with a hard thud. In an instant he knew that his ankle would probably never heal quite right after tonight. He looked up at a silver-haired man with tan skin, and blue eyes. "Landeles?" "What is going on?" He grabbed him by the arm, getting him to stand up. "The Bottomjaw Empire has just commenced the Invasion of Flayeland," Makal said, each word getting stuck in his throat. "We have to wake Billow up, he's the only one that realistically stands a chance against them. This town is full of foreigners, hornmen, ex-slaves, and cancermen, not people fit for battle." "Listen, I have to go be with my mother." "Yes, same direction, so let's go." The two began running. There were no words exchanged. He heard what his uncle called a cannon. He could feel the heat once again. Not as strong as before, but slowly getting stronger. Sweat was coating his legs, and he felt like he hadn't blinked in a while. Landeles was ahead of him now. He was taller, and much more athletic, and hadn't already been running for a while, even after injuring himself. He heard more cannonfire. And then he heard something even worse. The sound of soldiers screaming from the opposite direction of Calum. Men and women slowly began streaming out from behind a burning tree, which had previously served as a barrier between Zul and the lepercave. They were drenched in blood, and one held the head of a leper by her hair. Zul was being attacked from both sides. It finally seemed like everyone was awake now, and the town, despite still being relatively quiet, felt like this was the loudest it had ever been. The sky was the darkest orange he had ever seen. The moons had hidden behind the clouds. There were still hours until daylight. And that wouldn't be the end of it. Just the beginning of the rest of their lives living persecuted, terrible lives at the hands of a technologically-superior foe. 'Where is there to flee?' 'Nowhere,' he answered his own question. He skid to a halt just before a burning cow ran through the gravel road. The cow had shit itself in pain, and fear. He jumped over the feces, and ducked into his tent. His mother was wide awake. The two locked eyes, and he did what he wanted to do with his uncle, but couldn't because of his pride. He began crying, and ran into his mother's arms. "Lozara!" He always called his mother just mom, but as a child he called her by her name, and he still did so during emotional times. "It's fine, baby, I love you. Doesn't matter if we die. Just know that I loved. Just know that your uncle loved you. That your friends loved you. Just know that one day the Bottomjaws will fall off. Just know... please God just know." They were hugging each other so hard it hurt. His back was somewhat wet, and he didn't know if it was blood, sweat or tears. She let go of him, and grabbed his face. "Son. Son. Makal! Makal look at me." He looked at her, and saw the same sadness in his uncle's eyes in her old, skinny face. "I won't make it tonight. Leave. Now. I'm going to take my life. I don't want you to see me like... that. Don't worry... I won't let them take me alive. I want you to remember me as me, Makal. As Lozara, your mother, not a woman who was raped to death or as the corpse of a woman who took her own life. Remember me. Don't forget. Never forget that I love you. Never forget your pride." "Go. Now!" She screamed. Makal walked out backwards, never losing eye contact. When her face disappeared from view, he knew he would never see his mother again. He wiped the tears away from his eyes. He walked into Rott and Billow's tent. (< Previous Chapter) - (Next Chapter >) Category:Tale of Zul Category:Chapters